When associate professor Kelly Curl’s landscape architecture students begin their professional careers, many will have a unique distinction – that they are already published authors. Their work is featured in a chapter of a new book, Representing Landscapes: Hybrid, and is just one more example of the hands-on learning experiences available to students in Colorado State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
Students now published authors
“As a faculty member, it is of course gratifying to see my students’ work highlighted in a book that will be used by teachers and practitioners,” said Curl. “But even more than that, giving our undergraduate and graduate students this kind of practical, real-world experience, will position them well for their professional lives beyond the university.”
The landscape architecture industry sees frequent updates to consumer interest and best practices, and books like these emphasize the success of previous projects as well as offer space to share designs more accurately and creatively. The book features designs that have been developed through programs such as Photoshop, designs that utilize digital maps, and hand-drawn designs that also use photography. This volume focused on hybrid design is the third in the series, with the first two volumes focusing on representation and digital landscape design.
“Hybrid representations allow for a sense of authenticity, an artistic renewal in the representation of landscapes and a return to some traditional means,” said Nadia Amoroso, the book’s editor. “It offers a palette of creativity, fusing the analogue and digital, allowing the landscape architect to become both artist and technician in the creation of the product.”
Unique in the industry
Incorporating student work into a book like this one is somewhat unique in the industry, according to Curl. She was eager to provide this opportunity to both her undergraduate and graduate students. Jie Li, a senior studying landscape architecture, was one of Curl’s students featured in the book. “Hybrid illustrations are a fantastic way to strongly show your design idea and vision,” said Li. “These digital drawings describe the surroundings, while the hand drawings highlight my ideas and designs highlighted. I’m delighted to have drawings I created for Professor Curl’s course published.”
Curl’s master’s students also found a place in the volume. “Hybrid drawings are a great way to use an expressive language style when trying to portray the feel and textures of a proposed design,” said Klara Rossouw, who recently graduated with her MLA. “The style is loose enough to leave room for viewer interpretation, yet structural enough to convey the way the space might be used, and Professor Curl’s attention to detail and technical ability really helped channel our work towards a professional level.”
Student work featured
The students’ work is featured in Curl’s chapter within the book, “Chapter 10: Ideation of Landscape Representation.” For more information on the book visit the publisher’s website.
The Landscape Architecture program is part of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.
